On Monday, March 29, 2010, all services formerly provided at the Cowell Student Health Center have been relocated and are available at the UC Davis Student Health and Wellness Center. All phone numbers and contact remain the same.

Cowell Student Health Center (CSHC) did a pretty good job serving the healthcare needs of UC Davis students, considering its small facilities. The center provides basic healthcare, but offers neither dental nor optometry services. However, it does have a very good website as well as MOObilenet and a pair of public access emacs in the lobby.

An Urgent Care visit will cost you $20 and normal visits will be $15. Tests are about $10, depending on what you need. If you buy the school's health insurance, generic prescriptions are $15 and brand name ones are $20. They also sell a variety of other self care things such as band-aids, condoms, sunblock, etc. The student outreach portion of the health center is Health Education and Promotion, and among other things recommends that freshmen living in the dorms be vaccinated against meningitis.

If you are not sure whether you need to see a doctor, you can call the Advice Nurse. You do not need to be enrolled in the university's health insurance to do this, so even students who submitted a waiver can get advice from trained professionals.

The Cowell Student Health Center was built in 1952. It gets its name from the Cowell family of Santa Cruz — Cowell Health Centers are a traditional avenue of UC support by the Cowell family who has given generously to the university as far back as the early 1900s.

Health Center as seen from Regan Circle Road.

Medical Professionals are limited by HIPAA as to what information they can make public about their patients, including who their patients are. As such it is very hard for Doctors, Dentists, and Psychiatrists to respond to negative comments on the wiki. Please keep this in mind while reading any comments.

Comments:

I've generally had excellent doctors at Cowell, but last time I visited I saw a "pain specialist" who told me that my problems stemmed from the fact that I didn't understand that "everything happens for a reason." When I told him that I didn't believe that, he said, "Well, why do things happen then?" Yeah, you really got me there, doctor. - EllenWoodall

You are just angry you couldn't get a medical weed card. hehe -GeorgeLewis

Or maybe i'm angry because the doc seemed to be taking full advantage of his... EllenWoodall

God, Insurance services is TERRIBLE. now I know insurance is a pain in the ASS but students have better things to do than goto the Insurance services more than they have too. I went once to fill out a "retro-refferal" and not only did the lady bitch at me for not using their doctors (what is this, a monopoly?) but I got a call from the doctors office a month in a half later saying they still hadnt recieved payment. GOOD THING i kept my copy of the thing and sent it to the doctors. And what does cowell do (oh, who us, no, what? no wait?!) you guys suck. And then ... IT HAPPENS AGAIN! good thing the pharmacy pl are nice or id change plans. Honestly, this place needs to get its s*it together.

2008-02-07 22:10:07 My only gripe about this place is that it takes awhile to see someone, even with an appointment. However, they're cheaper than my insurance copay. The doctors I have seen here have always been helpful. —WilliamLewis

2008-02-26 10:04:15 The big problem with this is that most students are nowhere near their primary care facility (Cowell) for much of the year. Gone for the summer? Traveling? On vacation somewhere? Sorry. You might not be covered. —IDoNotExist

2008-04-13 11:40:36 I went in today (sunday) and saw Dr. Kalman. He was extremely helpful and I was so glad that urgent care was open on the weekend. THANKS!!! —tgdavis

2008-06-18NOTE: The (already high) visit prices have gone up as of 6/16/2008 by $5. Unsure whether prices have gone up for other things. I reflected the new visit prices above.

2008-10-29 21:31:13 I've never had a serious problem with the health center until now, when I realized how completely incompetent the doctors are. I went in for a women's annual exam, and the doctor spent a long time hardcore convincing me to go on the depo shot. She mentioned a couple side effects, but failed to mention that there is a side effect of depression... she neglected to check my chart to see I'm bipolar. I've been extremely depressed ever since, sleeping all day, become agitated with everyone around me, and lack the energy and motivation to do my school work. It's way worse than any depression I've experienced before. The best part is there's no way to correct this, so I'm doomed to wait until the shot loses it's effectiveness (3 MONTHS). I seriously may have to drop out of school this quarter because it's so bad. Thanks health center! —court

2009-02-19 09:22:13 Although the student health center offers affordable healthcare, the people (except for the doctors) are so difficult. They insist on giving you appointments days later—their justification is that unless you are dying (in which case you would go to urgent care) you can wait—and are snappy, unhelpful, and rude. This has happened to me more than once... Also, the staff insists that you speak to a nurse first and sometimes only a nurse—some of which are straight up incompetent. —student626

2010-02-13 14:16:33 HORRIBLE SERVICES. DO NOT RECOMMEND! I went to the doctor here for a checkup.(e.g. blood test) I had a sprain ankle also. The doctor did not help one bit. She said the appointment was only going to be 15 minutes long. She spent the first 10 minutes asking me of my family history. This survey I could have done myself on the computer. Then she spends the next 3 minutes whining that she was another person to see that is already next door. After that I got a little bit angry I cut her off and demand a check up. She then spends the next 2 minutes telling me that I'm fine based on my family history and that I need to drink more water.

Unless if you are dying on campus, I would go to somewhere else. I'll try out Sutter hospital next time. I hope they will be helpful. —imprenditore